Aircraft, including fixed-wing aircraft and rotary-wing aircraft, employ a variety of aerodynamic control surfaces, such as ailerons, air brakes, elevators, flaps, rudders, slats, spoilers and the like. By manipulating one or more of the aerodynamic control surfaces, a pilot may control the lift generated by the aircraft, such as during takeoff, climbing, descending and landing, as well as the aircraft's orientation about its pitch, roll and yaw axes.
For example, the trailing edge of a wing of a fixed-wing aircraft typically includes one or more flaps, and the flaps are moveable between retracted and extended positions. At cruise, the flaps are typically maintained in a retracted position. When extended, the flaps increase the camber of the wing. Therefore, during takeoff, climbing, descending or landing, the flaps may be extended, either partially or fully, to increase the maximum lift coefficient and effectively reduce the stalling speed of the aircraft.
Aerodynamic control surfaces, such as flaps, have an aerodynamic cross-sectional profile that is typically formed by connecting an upper skin to a lower skin proximate both the leading edge and the trailing edge of the aerodynamic control surface. The leading edge of the aerodynamic control surface typically includes a bullnose. Therefore, connecting the upper skin to the lower skin proximate the leading edge is a relatively straightforward process. However, the trailing edge of the aerodynamic control surface is tapered to a thin cross-section, thereby complicating the process of connecting the upper skin to the lower skin proximate the trailing edge.
Accordingly, those skilled in the art continue with research and development efforts directed to trailing edge close-out for aerodynamic control surfaces.